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This executive summary of the 2021 State of Urban Climate Financing report, produced by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance with World Bank contributions, analyzes global urban climate investment flows, identifies significant funding gaps—particularly in developing nations—and proposes a framework of 'enabling conditions' to mobilize the trillions of dollars needed for low-carbon and climate-resilient urban development.

This executive summary of the 2021 report 'État du financement climatique des villes' analyzes the current state of urban climate investment, identifies significant funding gaps—particularly in developing nations and for adaptation efforts—and proposes frameworks to mobilize the trillions of dollars required for low-carbon, resilient urban development.

This executive summary of the 2021 report 'O Estado do Financiamento Climático das Cidades' (The State of City Climate Finance), produced by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA), analyzes current urban climate investment levels, identifies barriers to funding, and proposes frameworks to mobilize the necessary capital for low-carbon and resilient urban development.

This executive summary of the 2021 State of Cities Climate Finance report, produced by the Alliance for Leadership in City Climate Finance with World Bank contributions, analyzes global urban climate investment flows, identifies barriers to funding, and proposes frameworks to mobilize the trillions of dollars needed for low-carbon and resilient urban development.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and Oxpeckers analyzes global coal mine proposals, finding that 2,277 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of new capacity is under development. This expansion is led by China, Australia, India, and Russia, and is largely inconsistent with the 1.5°C warming limit of the Paris climate agreement.

This policy brief analyzes the services market access negotiations under the WTO E-commerce Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It highlights a significant trade imbalance, where developed nations are net exporters of the targeted digital services while developing nations are net importers. The brief identifies key challenges, including the 'technological neutrality' of GATS, the undecided legal architecture of the JSI, and a lack of gender and social inclusion considerations. It recommends that developing countries pursue a 'built-in development dimension' through progressive liberalization and multi-stakeholder national assessments.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the intersection of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It analyzes how Chinese infrastructure investment and trade goals overlap with Africa's ambition for a single continental market, highlighting both the potential for synergy and the risks of economic imbalance.

The report 'Killed by Breathing' analyzes the global crisis of cooking poverty, where 3.83 billion people in 71 countries rely on solid fuels and low-quality stoves. It argues that the current 'clean cooking' sector is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) due to fragmented governance, insufficient funding, and a lack of focus on end-user behavior. The authors propose a shift toward the term 'cooking poverty' to reflect the scale of the problem and recommend integrating cooking solutions into existing electrification infrastructure to leverage its finance and technical support systems.

The report 'The Road to Sustainable Transport' examines the environmental and social impacts of global transportation, the evolution of international policy from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the Sustainable Development Goals, and case studies of sustainable urban mobility. It highlights the role of public transit, non-motorized transport, and electrification in reducing carbon emissions and improving public health, while noting the potential for post-COVID-19 recovery packages to accelerate these transitions.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) reports that global warming estimates for 2100 have reached a record low of 2.4°C, driven by announcements from President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate and other pledges since September 2020. Despite this 0.2°C improvement, current projections remain above the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit, and a significant gap persists between targets and the policies required to achieve them.

The report 'Hoja de Ruta para una Taxonomía en Chile' provides a strategic framework for Chile to develop a national green taxonomy. It recommends an 'adopt, adapt, and lead' approach, prioritizing the Energy, Transport, Construction, and Industry sectors. It emphasizes the need for science-based, binary eligibility criteria aligned with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal and suggests that Chile take a global leadership role in defining criteria for the mining sector. The roadmap proposes a three-level governance structure and recommends initially focusing the taxonomy's application on green debt instruments.

The Taxonomy Roadmap for Chile, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative in May 2021, provides a strategic framework for the Chilean government to develop a national sustainable classification system. The report recommends a phased approach—adopting, adapting, and leading—to align Chile's green finance with international standards (such as the EU and China taxonomies) while addressing local economic specificities, particularly in the mining sector. It outlines governance structures, priority sectors for decarbonization, and the application of the taxonomy to green debt instruments to mobilize capital for Chile's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

This May 2021 briefing from the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) analyzes the impact of recent Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) updates and net-zero pledges on global warming projections. It finds that while recent commitments have lowered the estimated end-of-century warming to 2.4°C, this remains significantly above the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal, and current policies are still on track for 2.9°C of warming.

This policy brief examines the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) from an African perspective, analyzing its compatibility with the African Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) and the role of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE).

The 100 Days Report details the activities of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) from February 5 to May 15, 2021. The organization focused on advocacy for Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), supporting the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and the COP26 Energy Transition Council, and providing technical assistance for energy access in several developing nations.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes South Africa's historical failure to champion human rights in its foreign policy, contrasting its domestic constitutional principles with its international actions. The author argues that South Africa has traditionally prioritized an 'anti-imperialist' struggle over human rights, though recent actions on the UN Human Rights Council suggest a shift toward greater commitment.

In a parting reflection published on April 16, 2021, Andrew Steer outlines the lessons learned during his nine-year tenure as leader of the World Resources Institute (WRI). He describes WRI's growth into a global team of 1,500 professionals and details the strategic approaches the organization used to influence climate and environmental policy, including the use of data-driven research combined with practical on-the-ground implementation and multi-stakeholder convening.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical objectives for the Leaders Summit on Climate (April 22-23, 2021), hosted by the United States. The document argues that the summit is a vital milestone for major economies to align their 2030 emissions targets with net-zero trajectories, increase climate finance for developing nations, end public funding for coal, and ensure COVID-19 economic recovery plans prioritize green infrastructure over fossil fuels to keep the 1.5 degree Celsius warming limit within reach.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal-fired power plant development in 2020, highlighting a significant surge in China that offset retirements in other regions. While the US, EU, and several Southeast Asian nations reduced their coal capacity or planning, China's increased activity led to the first growth in global coal capacity since 2015.

The report 'Boom and Bust 2021' analyzes the global coal plant pipeline, highlighting a divergence where a surge in coal development in China offset a general global retreat. While many countries in South and Southeast Asia, the US, and the EU are retiring plants or cancelling projects, China's commissioning of new capacity led to the first increase in global coal capacity since 2015.